On February 28th, Reside’s RRC Plungers took part in the incredible experience of jumping into the cold Columbia River for the sake of Special Olympics. The Polar Plunge is hosted every year to help raise money for the Special Olympics, and in support of the program (and even several of our clients who participate in these events), a group of over 20 banned together to brave the cold waters!
After months of collecting, Reside Residential Care raised over $2,000 for the Polar Plunge! Our very own Hieu Kha even had the honor of being a Super Plunger this year, plunging into the chilling river 24 times in 24 hours, after raising a minimum of $3,000! All together, over $5,000 was raised by Reside’s employees alone. Congratulations, team!
For our super plunger, his involvement in Special Olympics started 8 years ago, when he started at Reside. Since then, he’s met many amazing athletes. This was Hieu’s second year as a super plunger, and he loves the environment. He believes that, without Special Olympics, some of the amazing athletes would not have the opportunity to relate to others, feel part of a team effort, feel accepted, or develop their own skills. And who doesn’t like to do those things? It’s normal for human beings to crave acceptance and human relationships, and what better way to do this than through being part of a friendly competition, working with fellow teammates to do their best, and, most importantly, have fun!
Hieu also took a moment to write to me and sum up his feelings of the plunge:
“My whole experience in this year’s Polar Plunge was definitely challenging, but it’s definitely the one most memorable experiences, and one of my biggest achievements. Being on the Super Plunger team, you’re pretty much sucked into the family and it becomes a tradition. All the Super Plungers have been very supportive, and we’ll all stay in contact or go out and do stuff together throughout the year until the next 24 hour plunge. I’m lucky to have this awesome opportunity to be a Super Plunger, and there is a huge list of people who have supported me and helped me accomplished this.”
This was my first year participating in the event. With that being said, I joined the company of the veterans and decided to do both the 5K walk/run as well as dive. And what an incredible experience it was! I had the opportunity to socialize with my fellow teammates, meet and greet several other incredible people, enjoy some Sesame Donuts, drink some strange goop with electrolytes, and, of course, dive into the cold river. At first, I was nervous; I didn’t want the cold to bite me, I didn’t want the sand to stick between my toes, but as my team began to run full force into the water, I followed quickly behind them. The water kissed my feet then, and the cold climbed up my spine, but all I could think about was all the lives I benefited by doing it just that once. It was totally worth it, and there’s no way I won’t be doing it again next year.
